Retro Film Review: Species (1995)

By mid 1990s the author of this review has learned not to expect much from Hollywood blockbusters. However, despite those bitter experiences, disappointments still happen, because, sometimes, you simply want certain film to be good. Seeing complete lack of truly memorable science fiction films in this particular period, I was hoping that Species, directed by Roger Donaldson in 1995, might be it.

The plot begins rather promising - sometimes between early 1970s and early 1990s an alien civilisation has caught signals from Earth. As a result, SETI radio telescopes receive transmission with details of alien DNA and instructions to splice it with its human counterpart. Government scientist follow the instructions, but the resulting hybrid, girl named "Sil" grows too rapidly and the project leader Xavier Fitch (played by Ben Kingsley) decides to pull the plug. Little girl, however, doesn't like idea of being gassed to death so she uses her superhuman abilities to escape from the secret laboratory. In order to catch her, Fitch gathers a small team made of two scientists, psychic empath and a professional assassin. In the meantime, little "Sil" transforms into adult and gorgeous looking woman (played by Natasha Henstridge) and slowly discovers that her genetically programmed mission is to procreate and settle this planet with as much of alien hybrids as possible. She comes to Los Angeles where her looks could serve her well in her mission, while the scientific team races with time in order to find her.

The premise of Species looked like a really promising combination of Ridley Scott's Alien and Paul Schrader's Cat People. Even more promising was really interesting cast of gifted actors led by "Oscar"-winning Ben Kingsley, as well as Swiss conceptual artist H.R. Giger (of Alien fame) as the designer of "Sil's" alien shape. Unfortunately, the script by Dennis Feldman quickly abandoned all interesting opportunities contained in its premise (including the human civilisation being seen through alien eyes). Instead, Species quickly disintegrates into the series of plot holes and cliches (including the obligatory and not so plausible romance between the members of retrieving team) that culminate with the cheap ending more suitable for B-horrors than an ambitious science fiction film. Although director Roger Donaldson tries his best to fill inadequacies of script by nice visuals, his efforts are in vain, partly due to rather disinterested cast that fail to create any sort of interest for their cardboard characters. The only exception and probably the only potentially redeeming thing in this film is 20-year old Canadian supermodel Natasha Henstridge in her first major film role. She tries her best to give some sort of character to the shape-shifting alien monster, but the audience, especially male, would probably remember only those scenes in which she appears without clothes. Unfortunately, those scenes are only a tiny portion of Species and not the reason enough to waste almost two hours of precious time watching this Hollywood garbage.

RATING: 2/10 (-)

(Note: The text in its original form was posted in Usenet newsgroup rec.arts.movies.reviews on October 17th 2001)

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Movie URL: https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/9348-species?language=en-US
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